Getty Preston Smith could be put on the trade block by the Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers are an extremely young football team that could get even younger by trading away defensive end Preston Smith, their oldest player, before the start of the regular season.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport laid out an idea for why the Packers should at least consider moving on from Smith, who will turn 32 in November.
“There are multiple contenders who would be more than a little interested in adding some pop to the pass rush,” Davenport wrote in a June 3 story that listed one player each team should consider trading this summer. “And dealing Smith would both add draft capital and clear a path for [second-year linebacker Lukas] Van Ness to assume the role he was drafted for — Smith’s replacement.”
Smith still has three years left on a four-year, $52 million extension he signed before the 2022 season. By not cutting him before the start of the new league year in March, he received a $5.4 million roster bonus, per Spotrac.
The Packers were the youngest team in the NFL in 2023, according to Sports Illustrated, and “might be again” in 2024. Smith is the team’s only player older than 30, and “no other team has fewer than four players who are 30-plus,” SI’s Bill Huber wrote on May 20.
Preston Smith Is Still a Starting-Caliber Defender
Smith hasn’t received any accolades at the NFL level. But that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been an extremely reliable starter for the Packers over the last few seasons.
Prior to going pro, Smith was a first-team All-SEC star for Mississippi State. He left college with 16 career sacks, 27 tackles for loss, and a pair of interceptions.
The Washington Commanders selected Smith with the 38th pick in the 2015 NFL draft. He never reached his full potential with the team, however, failing to eclipse 8 sacks in a single season.
That changed when Smith signed a four-year, $52 million contract. He was joined by fellow veterans Za’Darius Smith and Adrian Amos to attempt to bolster Green Bay’s defense.
Smith came out of the gates with an impressive 12-sack season. He’s played in at least 16 games in all five seasons with the Packers, recording 41.5 sacks over that span. He is also a reliable run defender on film.
Green Bay’s Ascending Pass Rusher
For as good as Smith has been in Green Bay, the emergence of Van Ness could make the established veteran expendable.
Van Ness was Green Bay’s first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Despite little production at Iowa, Van Ness earned first-round buzz because of his 6-foot-5, 272-pound frame combined with his athletic profile.
Those traits helped Van Ness make the most out his limited opportunities as a rookie. He finished the regular season with four sacks, then added another sack in the NFC Divisional Round against the Dallas Cowboys.
Expectations are even higher for Van Ness going into his second season. Because of his size and play style, Van Ness is expected to be a natural fit for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. The former Boston College head coach is bringing a base 4-3 defense to Green Bay, which would be a more natural fit for a bigger player like him.
With so much buzz surrounding Van Ness, it’s making it more likely that the Packers consider moving on from Preston Smith sooner instead of later. It’s a risk, but one that could save the Packers some cap space to take a swing at a different position.